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Another 90 days, another extension.

This time, Trump had the guts to only do SEVENTY-FIVE days… for no apparent reason.

And following plenty of promises that an announcement of a deal was coming which, of course, never materialized.

So where should content creators go from here?

And a bit of housekeeping: based on the success of my last two newsletters where I listed 60 creator economy platforms, then another 60 creator economy platforms, I asked some of my trusted peers if that should lean into more recommendations in the newsletter.

They said, “Yes, for the love of God, yes.”

So I’m going to spend less time on hot takes and more time focusing on learnings from the industry.

Also in this edition:

• A $1.3m Creator Crowdfund on GigaStar

• Creators Guild of America Creates Terms for Brands

• Amazon Creates Creator Connections

• Job ops from Amazon Games, Popfly, and Pearpop.

• …and a dank creator economy meme by yours truly!

Let’s get into it.

NEWS:

China Knows TikTok is Safe in the US Now

As the SECOND deadline loomed for TikTok to either sell or be banned, yet again the Trump administration punted.

Now there is an additional 75 days for TikTok’s US platform to be sold to an American company or, supposedly, face a ban.

But remember: this isn’t a foregone conclusion that once a buyer is found, it will happen.

In fact, China has been quite clear that they will not give an inch and reasserted that point again this week in the press, when they said TikTok’s US deal must comply with Chinese laws.

The U.S. played chicken, lost, and now expects the other car to still give up their pink slip.

Not a chance.

Imagine you’re China right now. You’re in a trade war with a country whose entire populous uses your products every day, from clothes to coffee cups, and your citizenry won’t feel that pain in the same way.

You have control of the world’s most popular app that the U.S. citizens love and the President has also expressed incredible fondness for the product.

Yes, there was a bipartisan bill passed saying the app poses a national security risk, and yet there’s no sign it will actually be banned.

This isn’t a brand issue. Revenue is up.

It’s not a customer issue. Revenue-per-user is up.

The U.S. is holding no cards.

The U.S. will find a buyer, China will say “no,” and that will be that.

Unless, of course, China decides to proactively ban the app in retaliation to the tarrifs. And if their goal is to inflict the most pain on average Americans, that would probably be the most powerful play.

Brands are closing deals with Trucks, Pickleball, and Drones

After launching, AntiMetal sent real pizzas to CFOs across NYC - with QR codes to their landing page.

It was weird. It was brilliant. It worked.

They landed Brex, Mercury, and Ramp.

This is how the best brands win the top of the funnel:

Anvara is the marketplace where you can discover, activate, and measure high-impact IRL placements. Think:

• Branded Pizza Boxes

• Music festivals

• Truck Wraps

• Pickleball Sponsorships

We make it easy to be everywhere that matters, without lifting a finger.

Most brands wait for access.

We’re giving you a way in - Now.

Claim your invite.

GROW 1%:

Phil Ranta’s weekly social media growth newsletter with one actionable tip to grow.

This week’s ‘Grow 1%’ is titled How Will You Be Remembered? and discusses the power of emotional resonance in content.

Here’s an excerpt, and you can read the entire edition in the link above:

Let's get existential!

You can live a long life, make lots of money, go to the coolest places, interact with loads of people, and after you're gone, you're just...gone.

Remember Ebenezer Scrooge's funeral in 'A Christmas Carol'? Depressing!

But this post isn't about how you leave a life's legacy. I'm a social media guy. That's on you.

This is about the 'legacy' your content leaves with a viewer.

This is one of my favorite lenses when looking at the strength of brands.

When people hear about my brand, what do they feel?

What are the associations?

What imagery does it evoke?

And, to pull it all together, how does my social media reflect and reinforce those factors?

In other words, what's that content's legacy after someone interacts with a piece of content?

Continue reading here.

FAME & FORTUNE:

GigaStar, a crowdfunding platform that allows fans to become investors and take monthly distributions from the growth of creators’ YouTube channels, had their largest fundraise to date when gambling creator Mr. Hand Pay Jason Boelhke raised $1.3m from 1,200 investors. Feels like a tipping point moment for the company.

Creators Guild of America (transparency: I’m on the advisory board) launched a legal ‘rider’ that creates a set of protections for content creators when executing brand and platform deals. It’s the first step towards standardization in the market. If you join the CGA’s mission, tell them I sent you!

Amazon, that company you complain about but still spend half of your paycheck there, greatly expanded their Creator Connections program, which is kind of like an influencer marketing platform for affiliates where you can find bonuses and brand collaborations. There is a race to ‘own’ more affiliates right now and Amazon, whose affiliate program has had decades to marinate, is always staying on the forefront.

Vimeo launched a service within Vimeo Streaming that helps creators easily build and launch paid subscription services and launch premium shows. Creators using the technology include The Try Guys and The Sidemen.

INDUSTRY HIRING:

Amazon Games needs a Principal - Strategy, Talent & Content Services to remind gamers that there’s a thing called Luna and it plays games or something.

Popfly is looking for a Head of Global Content and Community in case you’re that rare mix of ‘outdoor adventurer’ and ‘terminally online memelord.’

Pearpop wants a VP of Brand Partnerships. And just remember: cold e-mail outreach is dead. Long live advertising on Phil Ranta’s newsletters!

MEME ZONE:

Thank you for reading! If you enjoyed this edition, give it a share and if you get someone to sign up, I’ll send you my ‘10 Rep-Friendly Ways to Monetize Today!’ deck!

Until next time, protect yo rep.